Beet-harvester.



No. 663,834. Patented Dec. |900. A. PHILIPP.

BE'ET HARVESTER.

(Applinaton filed Jan. 26, 1898. Renewed May 5, 1900.`1 (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l..

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Patented Dec. Il, 190D.

A. PH IL|PP. BEET HARVESTER.

(Application led Jan. 26, 1898. Renewed May 5, 1900)' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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artnr ALBERT BHILIPP, OF STANTON, NEBRASKA.

BEEF-HARVESTER.

'SPECIFICATION forming partpf Leners Patent No. 663,834, dated necember 1 1, 1900.

Application filed January 26,1898. Renewed May 5. 1900. Serial No. 15,645, No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT PHILIPP, of Stanton, in the countyof Stanton and State of Nebraska,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Beet-Harvesters; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention relates lto machines for harvesting sugar-beets, chicory,and other succulent roots and which iirst cut olf the project ing tops of the beets and subsequently remove the body of the same from the ground.

The invention is an improvement upon my Patent No. 552,444, granted to me on December 31, 1895.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide the machine with an automatically-adj ustable roller and knife,which latter will cut the beets according to their height without wasting them and to prevent the roller and adjustable cutter from crushing or ruining the beets in rolling thereover, which is accomplished byimpartin g a positive rotary motion to the said roller.

Anotherim provement consists in the means for substantially lifting the adjustable selfadjusting roller and knives and the diggers from the ground when the machine is to be transported or turned.

The invention therefore consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which 4 v Figure l is a perspective View of the cornplete machine. Fig. 2 is a top plan View thereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3 3, Fig. l. Fig. 4f is a detail side elevation.

The main frameof the machine consists of the parallel side bars AA, connected by transverse end pieces aand an intermediate piece a', to which the seat A5 isattached. The frame is supported upon rear axle B, upon which are wheels b b', a sprocketwheel h2 being fixed on the aXle'of the wheel b', betweenthe wheel and the frame, for a purpose hereinafter eX- plained. The front end of the frame is supported on a curved axle B2, provided with wheels B3, and a tongue a3 is made fast to this axle and pivoted to a clip a2 on the front bar c.

To the front end of the frame, in rear of wheels B8, is secured a topping-cutter C and a sweep O which are attached to the frame by means of bar (J2 or in any other suitable manner, the cutter C being adapted to cut o the tops of the beets, as indicated in the drawings, and the sweep C to direct these tops to one side of the machine out of the way.

ln rear of sweep C is a roller D, mounted on a shaft CZ, which extends through slots e in the sides E2 of a verticallymovable frame, which is suitably guided on the bars A. The guides may be provided with friction-rollers e to facilitate the rise and fall of the frame E. The side pieces E2 are connected by transverse pieces E, as shown, so that they move together. The shaft d may be held down in the slots by means of set-screws d2, having their brackets d' attached to the side E2.

On the projecting ends of shaft CZ are mounted loose wheels D2, which practically carry the weight of the roller D and allow the same to be revolved with or on shaft d by' means of a sprocket D5, driven by a chain b3 from the sprocket h2 on wheel Z9.

Just in rear of and below roller D is a horizontal knife or trimmer D4, which is yattached at one end to one of the side pieces of frame E. The roller D is preferably provided with a shallow spiral rib D on its periphery, by which any material resting upon knife D4 is worked off and discharged at one end of the roller. A brush E4 is attached to the frame E in rear of roller D in position to clear the surface from dirt that would otherwise adhere thereto.

ln rear of frame E is a transverse shaft F, journaled in bars A, and on this shaft are fixed arms F', which are pivotally connected to the end pieces of frame E, so that by rocking the shaft frame E, with roller D and knife D4, can be raised or lowered. Shaft F can be rocked by a lever F', which is provided with an ordinary hand-latch Fadapted to engage a toothed segment F2 on one of the bars A, as shown. i

In rear of roller D is a diagonally-arranged sweep G, which is suspended on verticallymovable bars g, and one end of the sweep is connected by a link g to an arm f on shaft F, and the bar g on the rear end of sweep G is connected to the upper end of an angle- IOO lever I-I, pivoted to the adjoining bar A, the lower end of this lever being connected lto a rod I, the forward end of lwhich is connected to the depending lower end of lever F', so

that when said lever is rocked to elevate the frame E the sweep G will be also elevated.

On the lower edge of sweep G is a rubber strip G', which will yield if it strikes an un yielding object or the upper end of a beet without crushing the latter or injuring the shield.

In rear of sweep G are the diggersJ, which are attached to the lower ends of bars J respectively pivoted on the side bars A. The right-,hand bar J is connected to rod I, which extends rearwardly thereto, and the left-hand bar Jl is connected by rod I." to an arm t' on shaft F, as shown. Therefore when shaft F is rocked, so as to lift frarne E and sweep G, the diggers J are swung above the surface of the ground, so that the machine can be readily transported or turned.

The machine is driven along and over a row of beets. The knife C first comes in contact with the beets and tops them, as indicated in the drawings, these tops being of no use to the factory in making sugar. The severed tops are moved off to one side by the sweep C'. As many of the beets will still project above the ground more than is necessary, the trimming-knife D4 is used, which removes superiiuous top portions of overgrown beets. In order to prevent this knife D4 trimming too much off the beets, the roller D is em-` ployed, and as it first rolls over the beet it lifts the trimming-knife, so that it cuts off no more than is necessary. This lifting of the trimmer is regulated by means of the setscrews D2, and when the shaft of roller D strikes against these set-screws the frame E, with the trimmer-knife, is raised over the beets, and thus automatically adjusted to regulate the cut of the beets. As stated, the first knife C clips the stems and a part of the beet, if very high, as indicated in the drawings. Then if the roller D comes in contact with any projecting beet it rides thereover, lifting the knife D4 with it, thus preventing the latter cutting the beets' wastefully,'and the beet is thus cut only according to its height, which is the most important feature in the machine and I believe peculiar to the present invention. The rubber shield on the lower edge of the sweep G prevents the latter injuring the projecting beets when passing thereover and at the same time insures that all the cuttings from knife D4 will be swept to one side of the machine. The diggers J then loosen the beets and the rods J 3 on the diggers lift the prepared beets high enough to clear them from the soil and let them drop on the top of the ground ready for loading. v

When the machine is not in operation, the lifters, sweep G, and frame E can all be raised above the ground, so as not to interfere with the free movement of the main frame.

ceased Having thus described my invention, what I therefore .claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent thereon, is-

1. In a beet harvester, the combination with the toppingknife, and sweep; of a roller in rear of said knife and a trimming -knife controlled bysaid roller, for the purpose and substantially as described.

2. In a beet-ha"rvester, the combination of the vertically-movable frame, the adjustable roller mounted thereinand the knife attached to said frame and movable therewith, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a beet-harvester, the combination of the vertically-movable frame, the adjustable roller mounted therein, the knife attached to said frame and movable therewith, and means for regulating the play of the roller on the frame, substantially as described.

4. In a beet-harvester, the combination of the verticallyunevable frame, the roller j ournaled in said frame, the trimming-knife attached to -said frame, and the sweep in rear of said roller, and means for raising said sweep and roller and frame, for the purpose and substantially as described.

5. In a beet-harvester, the combination of the main frame the vertically-movable frame thereon, the roller journaled in said movable frame having a spiral rib on its periphery, the trimming-knife below the roller attached to said movable frame, the sweep in rear of Said roller, and means for raising said sweep and roller and frame, for the purpose and substantially as described. v

6. In a beet-harvester, the combination of the main frame, the roller, the roller carrying wheels loosely mounted on the rollershaft, and means for rotating said roller independently of its wheels, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination of a verticallvmovable frame, a roller journaled therein, the roller carrying wheels loosely mounted on the roller shaft, and means for rotating said roller; with the trimming-knife attached to said frame, all substantially as and for the purpose described.

S. In a beet-harvester, the combination of the vertically-movable roller, the trimmingknife beside and movable with the roller, and controlled thereby, the sweep in rear of said roller and the diggers in rear of the sweep, substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. In a beet-harvester, the combination of the vertically-movable roller, the trimmingknife beside and movable therewith and controlled by the roller, the sweep in rear of said roller and the diggers in rear of the sweep, with means for simultaneously elevating the roller and knife, the sweep and the diggers, for the purpose and substantially as described.

l0. In a beet-harvester, the combi-nation of the topping-knife and its sweep, the adjustable roller in rear thereof, the trimming-knife beside and adjustable with and by the roller IOO IIO

and the sweep in rear of said roller provided with a yielding or rubber` strip on` its lower edge, for the purpose and substantiallyT as described.

11. In a beet-harvester, the combination of the topping-knife and its sweep, the adjustable roller in rear thereof, the trimming-k nife beside and adjustable with and by the roller and the sweep in rear of said roller; with the diggers in rear of the latter sweep, mounted upon pivoted bars; and means for elevating said roller sweep and the diggers, substantially as and for the purpose described.

12. In a beet-harvester, the combination of the topping-knife and its sweep, the adjustable roller in rear thereof, the trim ming-knife beside and adjustable with and by the roller and the sweep in rear of said roller; with the diggers in rear of the latter sweep, mounted upon pivoted bars, the `vertically movable frame carrying said roller and trimmingknife, a rock-shaft and connections substantially as described for elevating said frame, and means operated from said rock-shaft for elevating said sweep and the diggers, substantially as and for the purpose described.

13. In a beet-harvester, the combination of the front topping-knife and itssweep, the vertically-movable frame in rear of said toppingknife, the Aroller journaled in said frame, a knife attached to said frame and movable therewith; the sweep in rear of said roller, the pivotedfbars in rear'of said sweep, the diggers attached to said bars and means for driving said roller from the main Wheels;

with the rock-shaft, connections between said rock-shaft and vertically-movable frame for elevating the latter, levers and rods for lifting said sweep, and the rods and connections for elevating the diggers all operated from said rock-shaft, substantially as described.

14. In a beet-harvester, the combination o the main frame, the front topping-knife and its sweep, the vertically-movable frame in l rear of said topping-knife, the shaft journaled therein, the roller and wheels on said shaft, a knife attached to said frame and movable therewith, and a brush on said frame for cleaning said roller; a sweep in rear of said roller, the pivoted bars in rear of said sweep and the diggers attached to said bars; with the main wheel, a sprocket driven by one of the main wheels and a sprocket-chain and sprocket for driving said roller from said main wheel; a rock-shaft on the main frame, connections between said rock-shaft and vertical ly-rnovable frame for elevating the latter, the levers and rods, for 'lifting said sweep, and the rods and connections for elevating the diggers, all operated from said rock-shaft, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT PHIL-IPP.

In presence of- ANGUs A. PHILIPP, WILLIAM HALLSTIEN. 

